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Same father, same face: Deep learning reveals selection for signaling kinship in a wild primate
M J E Charpentier1, M Harté1, C Poirotte2
1ISEM, UMR5554, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Place Eugène Bataillon (cc065), 34095 Montpellier cedex 05, France.
Science Advances
|June 16, 2020
Summary
Facial resemblance in mandrills is selected to signal paternal kinship. This study provides evidence that visual cues, enhanced by AI, facilitate kin recognition in these animals.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Animal behavior
- Artificial intelligence applications
Background:
- Animals often use facial traits for kin recognition, but selection for this function is not well understood.
- Mandrills live in matrilineal societies, interacting with both maternal and paternal half-sisters.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if facial resemblance has been specifically selected to signal paternal kinship in mandrills.
- To explore the role of facial traits in kin recognition mechanisms within mandrill social structures.
Main Methods:
- Utilized deep learning for advanced face recognition analysis.
- Compared facial resemblance and social relationships between paternal half-sisters (PHS) and maternal half-sisters (MHS).
- Assessed facial resemblance in relation to genetic relatedness.
Main Results:
- Facial resemblance increases with genetic relatedness.
- Paternal half-sisters (PHS) show greater visual resemblance than maternal half-sisters (MHS), despite similar genetic relatedness.
- PHS exhibit more differentiated social relationships compared to non-kin.
Conclusions:
- Facial resemblance is selected to facilitate paternal kin recognition in mandrills.
- This study demonstrates the utility of artificial intelligence in studying phenotypic evolution and kin recognition.
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